


I'm Going To Stay

by deliriouslyshipping



Series: T'Cherik Drabbles [5]
Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: baby daddy Erik, domestic t'cherik, neighbor T'Challa, this is cute and I love this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 01:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14438916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliriouslyshipping/pseuds/deliriouslyshipping
Summary: That ultimate power had him feeling invincible, like nothing could stop him from living his best life.Then a baby shows up at his door.





	I'm Going To Stay

Sometimes Erik regrets some of the decisions that he has made in his adulthood. Erik will admit sometimes he wishes that his body count of women was not as high as it was. Sometimes, but Erik really enjoys sex. He enjoys women throwing themselves at him and willing to give in to his desires simply because he wills it, ego building higher with every set of legs that open themselves to him and only him. That ultimate power had him feeling invincible, like nothing could stop him from living his best life. 

Then a baby shows up at his door. And the thing is, he cannot even deny that it’s his. She has his eyes, bright and wide. Her smile when she looked at him...

“Listen, I can’t keep this baby,” and Erik can’t bring himself to remember this woman’s name. In the back of his mind, he thinks he must’ve been drunk when he hit her up because-

“The fuck you mean?” She sends him an annoyed look and it still hasn’t registered what’s about to happen. 

“I got college and a job. I don’t have time for Zariah and it was you that knocked me up anyway so here,” she shoves the handle of the car seat into his hand. It knocks in then that ohh, this bitch is dumping her baby. His baby. Their baby. Erik tries not to think too hard on that, especially since he cannot even remember this woman's name. Erik can't think ten or more months back on the women that he has smashed. 

“You’re just going to leave your child like that?”

“Coming from the nigga who didn’t even know he had a baby,” she snaps, but her eyes soften as the baby makes a small noise, “listen, I brought you the stuff that she needs. I can come by later if you-”

“No I think I’ll manage just fine,” and it was Erik’s pride speaking. To be frank, he had no clue on how to cook himself a decent dinner, nonetheless take care of a baby. She narrows her eyes again, but sends a final kiss to her child who reaches for her. Erik has a strong feeling he won't see Zariah's mother again, but he honestly doesn't care. He feels annoyed with the situation, with her presence in general.

“I love you, Zariah.” Erik scoffs because what kind of a mother just leaves her child? Then she leaves towards the stairs and doesn’t look back. Erik is still for a couple of minutes before he is moving, placing Zariah on the not-so-clean couch and grabbing the bags of baby crap. Erik has no idea what half of the shit is. He puts his hands in face and groans deeply, realizing that this is going to be his life now. The baby squeals and he looks at her. Zariah looks at him in wonder and Erik stares right back; she giggles and shifts in her seat towards him. 

He unbuckles her from the seat and picks her up. The baby grips at the necklace that he is wearing, but he cannot find himself to force her away. Instead, Erik finds himself smiling as she wraps her small hands around his finger, squeezing. 

“Hi,” Zariah leans into his hold and Erik thinks this may not be that bad. 

-

It was that bad.

Erik had not fully comprehended that being a dad was a 24/7 thing. He had to leave behind his friends, his parties, his women, everything. Working at the gym was more than enough to suffice for his party life and his necessities, but now half of it went towards formula and diapers and-

do not get on the subject of diapers. Do not remind Erik of how much shit he had to clean up in his bathroom because he did not know how to even put on a diaper. After a week of failure, he finally resorted from learning from YouTube (He actually learned about half of the “parent necessities” from some channel of this far too ecstatic for his liking). Still, the struggle was real and there was things no other parent could teach him. 

Like how to calm Zariah. She likes it when you rub her back while she lays face down. She also likes sleeping in the same bed as him (he definitely had to clean her sheets before he could ever let her in there), but her favorite position is against his chest, against his heat, with one of her hands grabbing at his necklace. She likes her apple flavor more than peach, which was learned from peach being strewn all over the floor. 

And Erik hates that the only company that he has is a baby that is a couple of months old. He hates that his friends won’t come over anymore because there is a “buzzkill” in the house that is keeping him from his previous life. He hates that he takes his kid to work, placing her in the child section under the care of Theresa, but he knows that she is good hands. 

He hates that almost everything that was him was swept from under him. And he cannot blame anyone but himself because it was his dick, his sperm, his child. 

Erik checks the mail on the bottom floor of the apartment building. Zariah cooed in her car seat and Erik knows what that means. Her picks her up just as she began to wail, and a man walks into the building. Erik looks at him once and rubs at his daughter’s back. 

“Rough day?” The man asks, smiling. 

“Rough every day,” Erik replies as she begins to calm down, but he knows that he can’t put her down long enough to get upstairs before she’ll start crying. 

“Need some help, then?” Erik takes notice of what the man looks like. He is attractive, no denying, with a nice smile playing on his lips. 

“If you want,” but then the man is grabbing the car seat and the baby bag. They exchange names up the stairs-T’Challa is quite an interesting name. But Erik can hear the heavy accent and he is not from anywhere close to here. He is also on the seventh floor, only two above hi. Zariah is close to sleeping when they make it to the door on the fifth floor. Erik unlocks the door with a little effort and places Zariah in the crib before meeting T’Challa at the door again. 

“Thank you so much.”

“Don’t be, it was my pleasure. Is she your first?” 

“Yeah. Her mom kind of dumped her.”

“I am sorry, Erik.”

“Nah, it’s good.” Silence follows for a solid five seconds. Erik is shit at small talk. 

“I must go, I have my studies,” T’Challa bows his head slightly before turning. Erik watches him and he really does not like being so alone. 

“Wait,” Erik scratches the back of his head, “will I, um, see you again? I mean, we do live in the same apartment building.” T’Challa smiles, shaking his head before answering. 

“If that is what you would like.” Erik smiles because, yeah, that is what he wants. 

-

They’re not dating technically, they’ve never actually been on a date. Sometimes T’Challa goes to his apartment or Erik to his when they both can find time. They are both very busy people, but it seems to work out. It’s worked well for a couple of months.

T’Challa is from Wakanda, which is in Africa. He is here for school, but Erik can guess that he probably already knows more than most of them. T’Challa is brilliant in everything, including Zariah. It took a total of 3 days for Zariah want to be around the man. Zariah especially loves being squished between the two of them as they watch a movie. 

In turn, Erik told him his birth name, that he been ashamed of. He hated the only thing he received from his dad came in the form of a name on a birth certificate, but he cannot really blame the man since he died in his arms. Erik tries hard to shake it off. T'Challa helps him with Zariah, teaches him things he didn't even know or could find on any video. Erik is so appreciative of T'Challa coming in his life, if he is being honest.

And they’ve kissed. The first time, Erik apologized and got another kiss as an answer. Now they’ve probably lost count, but they do not nothing more. Erik, for once, does not feel bothered by not getting laid. Something about T'Challa makes him want to wait, want to make this right for him-when he says him, he means T'Challa, because somehow, that man reached inside his chest and applied himself there. Erik has never been one for sentiment, but T'Challa literally brightens his life. He has never had a reason to go home and stay there before he had Zariah, before he met T'Challa. Now all he wants to do is stay at home if it means that he has the both of them. 

The first time they do have sex, though, it was the most intimate moment Erik had ever experienced. He was beyond stressed out; it was time for bills to go out and he was a little short since Zariah needed to get some checkups done. T’Challa had put Zariah to bed for him (she is only compliant to sleep when T’Challa is there, so unfair) and had returned. 

“I’m a fuck up. I can’t even take care of my own daughter,” and Erik is closer to tears by the second. T’Challa takes the letters from his hands and places them on the counter, then inserts himself in the area between his legs. His hands cup his cheek and grab his attention. 

“You’re not. You are doing what you can, despite the circumstances. No one can judge a man who is trying.” They embrace for a while. Erik feels his.. something’s heartbeat and matches to that. 

He checks his watch. 

“It’s getting late. Are you gonna head out?” T’Challa shakes his head, pulling himself closer. 

“No, I’m going to stay,” and they kiss. It’s nothing like their former kisses. It’s not short and sweet, it’s long and passionate, and the room heats up ten degrees. They kiss all of the way to the bed, where T’Challa wraps his legs around his waist and their bodies grind. Erik loves this, loves doing this with T’Challa, but-

“Are you sure?” Erik can’t believe he asked that question. He has never had to ask if someone wanted it-but it’s not about him wanting it. It is that Erik has never felt like this before; he doesn’t want to fuck this up. A first for Erik. 

“I am ready, N’Jadaka,” and it was when T’Challa said his name, his real name, that Erik knew he was not going to let this man go if he could help it. He never felt so exposed to who he really was. He thought he was the party boy, the guy that could get everything he wanted, but T’Challa sees straight through that. Sees the man tainted, but wants him anyway. Erik thinks too much, frozen, and T'Challa kisses him to bring him back to Earth, back to him. He moans and removes T'Challa's shirt and all he feels is desire. T'Challa looks at him like there is no one but him that matters and, in the reflection of the orbs, Erik looks nearly the same. He pushes T'Challa back down on the bed, mouthing at his neck. 

For the first time, Erik made love to someone. 

-

When he wakes up, he smells bacon. He slips on his sweatpants and walks into the kitchen. Zariah is sitting in her high chair, picking up the solid food with a little bit of difficulty, and putting it in her mouth. T’Challa is by the stove, making breakfast for them. Erik sneaks up and wraps his arms around the man, kissing at his neck. 

“Behave,” T’Challa scolds, but it holds no heat. Erik sits, switching his eyes between his daughter and his man. He smiles, reaching over to help Zariah with her food. She smiles at him and he kisses the top of her head. 

He could definitely get used to this, Erik thinks as T’Challa serves him breakfast, interacts with Zariah (isn't it the cutest thing Erik has seen in his life when T'Challa makes a funny face, then Zariah claps repeatedly, shrieking for more?), then kisses him deeply. 

Could definitely get used to this, but then Zariah throws her food at him, earning a laugh from both T’Challa and his daughter. 

Erik still doesn’t reconsider.


End file.
